Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Family Support Services · About this organization
What you get
$500 for gas, groceries, transportation, utility bills, or other essentials through the Bear Hug program.
How to start
Use the self-referral form or ask your hospital social worker for referral paperwork. Include contact and medical details and permission to confirm treatment.
Good to know
- Diagnosis-related help is limited to the initial diagnosis and four relapses.
- For continuous treatment, you can apply every two years; this option excludes children off therapy.
The details, as published
Families who qualify for the Bear Hug program receive a $500 Family Support Services benefit for gas, groceries, transportation, utility bills, or other essentials. Eligible patients are ages 0–19, live in Illinois or receive treatment at an Illinois hospital, and meet the program's initial-diagnosis, relapse, or continuous-active-treatment timing rule; the live form says approximate income is collected but is not a qualifier.
What help you may get
Household Bills And Cash Assistance
Family Support Services — household bills and cash assistance
Families who qualify for the Bear Hug program receive a $500 Family Support Services benefit for gas, groceries, transportation, utility bills, or other essentials. Eligible patients are ages 0–19, live in Illinois or receive treatment at an Illinois hospital, and meet the program's initial-diagnosis, relapse, or continuous-active-treatment timing rule; the live form says approximate income is collected but is not a qualifier.
$500
Can cover
- gas
- Gas
- groceries
- Groceries
- other essentials
- transportation
- Transportation
- utility bills
- Utility bills
- $500 is available for each qualifying diagnosis or relapse instance.
- Eligibility is available at initial diagnosis and up to four relapses; continuous active-treatment families may qualify every two years from the previous Bear Hug.
Meals And Food
Family Support Services — meals and food
Families who qualify for the Bear Hug program receive a $500 Family Support Services benefit for gas, groceries, transportation, utility bills, or other essentials. Eligible patients are ages 0–19, live in Illinois or receive treatment at an Illinois hospital, and meet the program's initial-diagnosis, relapse, or continuous-active-treatment timing rule; the live form says approximate income is collected but is not a qualifier.
$500
Can cover
- gas
- Gas
- groceries
- Groceries
- other essentials
- transportation
- Transportation
- utility bills
- Utility bills
- $500 is available for each qualifying diagnosis or relapse instance.
- Eligibility is available at initial diagnosis and up to four relapses; continuous active-treatment families may qualify every two years from the previous Bear Hug.
Travel And Transportation
Family Support Services — travel and transportation
Families who qualify for the Bear Hug program receive a $500 Family Support Services benefit for gas, groceries, transportation, utility bills, or other essentials. Eligible patients are ages 0–19, live in Illinois or receive treatment at an Illinois hospital, and meet the program's initial-diagnosis, relapse, or continuous-active-treatment timing rule; the live form says approximate income is collected but is not a qualifier.
$500
Can cover
- gas
- Gas
- groceries
- Groceries
- other essentials
- transportation
- Transportation
- utility bills
- Utility bills
- $500 is available for each qualifying diagnosis or relapse instance.
- Eligibility is available at initial diagnosis and up to four relapses; continuous active-treatment families may qualify every two years from the previous Bear Hug.
- The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.
Why this may help
Meals And Food: The Bear Hug money can go toward groceries among other essentials.
Travel And Transportation: Gas and transportation are covered uses of the Bear Hug money.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. B-ALL is a pediatric cancer and the published age range overlaps ages 0–18.
Age
Age 0 to age 19.
- The official page publishes ages 0–19.
Treatment status
Relapse Or Recurrence
- A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
- Hospital social workers can provide referral paperwork; an online referral is also available.
- No numerical income test is published on the reviewed pages.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
You must live in: IL.
- The child must reside in Illinois or receive cancer treatment in Illinois.
Where your child is treated
Treatment must be connected to: Illinois treatment is an alternative to Illinois residence..
- Illinois treatment is an alternative to Illinois residence.
How to get started
Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.
Who can start: Parent Or Guardian, Social Worker
- Ask the hospital social worker for referral paperwork or use the online referral pathway.
- Authorize Bear Necessities to confirm diagnosis and treatment information with the hospital team.
- Confirm Illinois residence or Illinois treatment and the applicable diagnosis, relapse, or active-treatment timing rule.
- If accepted into the Bear Hug program, receive Family Support Services according to the published benefit rules.
- Provide diagnosis, treatment, and family-contact information requested by the program.
- Use the live self-referral form or ask a hospital social worker for the internal referral pathway.
Ways to apply or ask
- Hospital Workflow · Open form or page — Ask the hospital social worker for referral paperwork.
- Online Portal · Open form or page
- Online Portal · Open form or page
- Phone · 312-214-1200 ext. 25 — Call the Bear Hug team with questions.
Documents to prepare
- Diagnosis and treatment verification
- Family contact and requested-support information
- Referral information
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Not Published |
| Funding or space | Not Published |
| Application window | Rolling |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- No response time or funding-capacity statement is published.
- Referrals are accepted through the active program pathway.
Limitations and things to confirm
- Continuous-treatment reapplication is limited to every two years and excludes children off therapy.
- Fulfillment method and processing time are not published.
- Illinois residence or treatment is required.
- No lifetime maximum is published because the continuous-treatment biennial pathway is additional to diagnosis and relapse eligibility.
- The child must reside in Illinois or be treated in Illinois.
- The diagnosis/relapse pathway is capped at initial diagnosis plus four relapses.
- What fulfillment method, internal paperwork, processing time, and current capacity apply?
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Family Engagement — Bear Necessities · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Bear Hugs — Bear Necessities · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Family Support Services · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Bear Hugs · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Bear Hugs · checked Aug 24, 2026